Plug a tire or replace a tire?

[KER]

I have an almost new (500 miles) Z6 for my 1150RT-P. I picked up a small piece of glass on the wall of a tread mark on the tire and punctured it. My question is what you everyone do with this tire, should it be plugged and driven like normal, or should it just be replaced with a new one?

[topdal46]

I love these subjects, almost as good as what type of oil to use.

 

If it's a clean puncture, I'd plug and ride, done it in the past, never had a problem, I'm talking about take the tire off and patch it from the inside.

[Travelin' Man]

You also might consider which tire it is--front or back. I rode with a plugged back tire for about 4 weeks before replacing it by rationalizing that it would be less trouble if it failed there.

[Hizzoner]

Having just gone through this same scenario I say plug it. Mine had 1500 or so miles on it. I tried to find someone to repair a small hole in the rear and could not do it successfully. At the request of the SO I purchased a new rear tire. The old one (I still have it)is going to be fixed (somehow, dang it!) so that when I need a new rear it will be in the garage. I have ridden on patched/plugged tires in the past and have been successful in going down to the wear indicators.

[Waltman]

Glass? hmmm. If it's more like a cut, rather than a puncture (like with a nail) I say replace it. I did have a puncture in the rear tire with a nail (@ 800 miles), almost 11,000 miles later it still holds its own, high speed, loaded bags with passenger, never had a problem, only thing is you need to check the air pressure weekly.

 

OTOH now I'm due for a new set of tires since the front tire is cupping badly . The rear tire still has plenty more of life.

[russell_bynum]

Plug it (from the inside) and don't worry about it

 

<hijack>

OTOH now I'm due for a new set of tires since the front tire is cupping badly . The rear tire still has plenty more of life.

 

There's no law that says you have to replace both tires at the same time.

</hijack>

[Waltman]

There's no law that says you have to replace both tires at the same time.

 

True, but I usually do not buy one shoe at a time either

[BobFV1]

Only 500 miles? You need to go to church and light a candle to the "road hazard Gods" - sorry about your misfortune. If it was me I would not hesitate one second in replacing it - then you would have a "new set" - do you really want to think about the fact that you are running a plug for the next 6000 to 10000 miles? Of course not! You are talking maximum $200.00 here, right? I think it's a small price to pay for peace of mind.

 

Ride safe.

[Ken H.]

Well I've got to vote the other way. Plug it only long enough the get to a new tire. Tires cheap, crashes expensive.

[KeyLime]

Plug it...has ANYONE known of a wreck that resulted from a plugged tire?

[SteveHebert]

Go to a tire shop and have them use a plug boot from the inside, then cover it with a patch. Total cost should be about $15. Other than that, I would get a new one.

[JerryMather]

Go to a tire shop and have them use a PLUG BOOT from the inside, then cover it with a PATCH. Total cost should be about $15. Other than that, I would get a new one.

 

[Mike O]

Well I've got to vote the other way. Plug it only long enough the get to a new tire. Tires cheap, crashes expensive.

 

Gotta go with Ken on this one.

 

Go to a tire shop and have them use a plug boot from the inside, then cover it with a patch. Total cost should be about $15. Other than that, I would get a new one.

 

If I could find someone to dismount and mount and balance a tire for $15 I'd consider that a REAL bargain. I'd go there just to get my tires changed when they wore out. Here in Denver, I'd be extremely surprised if you could find someone to do it that cheap, and getting anyone to patch tires (for liability reasons, and for their motivations to sell you a NEW tire) is likely rare. $15? Maybe for the 'patching' part. Not for the dismount and mount.

 

Plug-it and replace it at the next convenient time. Crashes are expensive

 

Regards,

 

Mike O

[John Montoya]

I have ridden on two plugged tires that were almost new for a very long time. You will not likely find a motorcycle shop that will dismount the tire and patch it for you. I had to have it dismounted at a MC shop take it to a tire place and have a patch that has a plug built into it put on at a tire place. Then I had to take it back the MC shop and have them re-mount it. Its a judgement call on your part based on where the hole is and how comfortable you are with it. I could not throw a tire with less that 1200 miles away. I fixed it and rode another 5K. Call me cheap or whatever.

[Shawnee Bill]

Plug it...has ANYONE known of a wreck that resulted from a plugged tire?

 

I am going out on a limb and say we are not going to get an answer here because it doesn't happen.

 

If I'm wrong I really, really want to know because I ride them plugged if there is a lot of tread left.

 

I did have a plug pop out on a tire once, after ridding it about 3,000 miles with a stop'n'go plug. All that happened was the back end just didn't feel right so I pulled over to check what might be wrong. I was close to home and just happened that where I pulled off was a friends drive.

An Avon tire BTW and about ready to change because of wear. The tread just got too thin for the plug to continue gripping.

[smiller]

There is no always-correct answer to this question.

 

If the tire is cut (vs. a simple puncture), or if the damage is near the very edge of the tread then the tire probably cannot be properly repaired. OTOH, a small nail puncture, in the center area of the tread, properly repaired (i.e. not mutilated with the BMW kit) will easily last for the tread life of the tire.

 

If you don't feel qualified to make a judgment concerning the nature of the damage, or to do the repair itself, then you may be better off replacing the tire... but depending on the damage there are often safe repair alternatives.

[BamaRider]

Faced the same question in Calif last trip.

 

I plugged it, left LA, made it to the Bay Area, where I had a tire waiting and friend support. The plug was perfect, and if I had not been on a long tour woulda kept riding.

 

The worst that could happen it goes flat again. I knew my trip east was going to place me in some very remote areas, and I didn't want to think about the plug failing. I mail ordered a replacement Z6 to my friends house, where he had a tire machine and balancer.

 

I'd do a long tour on a plug, if I was going to have support( co rider)otherwise I go for peace of mind. But not going far from home next few thousand? Think I'm gonna get my moneys worth.

 

Now MY question is- a plugged tire, how long do ya ride on a dying thread? Say he does plug his new, how far you let the depth go?

[DouglasR]

While riding home from Canada last Thursday I picked up a screw in my rear tire, an MEZ6 with about 2300 miles on it. I found out when I took the bike off the centerstand the next AM in Helena, Montana and it was FLAT. I temporarily mutilated it with the BMW patch kit (what a PITA!!!!), then rode to the nearest m/c shop. I pulled the wheel off, they removed the tire, put a patch on it (the kind with a 2" diameter patch inside and a plug that extends through the hole to the outside of the tire and is trimmed), remounted the tire and gave it back to me to re-install. Cost was $24, took 1/2 hour total. I've ridden 1500 fully-loaded miles in temps up to 95 degrees since then without a loss of a single PSI of air, so I plan to keep it on until it wears out. The 2" patch covers a multitude of sins and is solvent-welded to the inside of the tire, the plug fills the big hole I made with my Beemer Reemer .

 

Another suggestion the shop had if it turned out my tire was unrepairable was to simply pull the valve stem, put a tube in, and off ya go until you need a new tire and valve stem.

[Stan Walker]

The 2" patch covers a multitude of sins

 

There is no way that a patch makes up for all of the cords that reaming the tire to install a BMW plug ripped.

 

YAMFTP

 

Stan

[flatbutt]

HIJACK WARNING: A different scenario but I have a Dunlop D208 with <1500 miles on it. I found a wire brad/staple inside one of the rain grooves. Leak testing it with increased pressure and soapy water yielded the teeny tiniest of bubbles. I replaced the tire as I was leaving for Vermont the next day but I plan on laying in a solvent bonded patch and using the old tire when the new one is used up by this fall. I can't believe the belting was damaged by the wire and I didn't ream it to put in a plug. I do understand and appreciate the replace and don't worry school of thought.

[Larry_M]

I would ride cautiously on a plugged tire only until I could have it replaced. A tire with a plug reduces it's speed/load rating by one, so, if the tire was Z-rated, consider it V-rated now. Fully loaded touring with a plugged tire? I wouldn't. Lastly, never put a tube in a tubeless tire. The tube will fail from heat and friction and the tire will be uncontrolably out of balance as the tube flops around inside the still inflated tire. Sure, tires aren't cheap, what are we worth anyway? I have found that most shops won't even repair a motorcycle tire as they are liable for the repair if and when it fails.

[Dan Adams]

In '89 I was on my way to Alaska on a K100RT pulling a trailer when I got a flat in the middle of nowhere. I plugged it and when I got to Fairbanks a couple days later, it had not leaked air and the BMW shop (one man operation) told me to just keep checking it and go on. If the plug does fail, it will not go all at once, but will be a gradual loss of air. I have plugged a couple others since then with no ill effects, and wouldn't hesitate to do it again

[DouglasR]

I love these subjects, almost as good as what type of oil to use.

Phil P. hit the nail on the head in the first reply to this question, didn't he? I'm a geologist, so I'm used to getting a different interpretation from everyone when all had the same set of facts.

 

Since my tire was plugged I have been watching it very carefully for deformation in the area of the Beemer Reeming, and there is none. There isn't a bubble or lump or funny wear area much less an air leak, period. I took it real easy on the tire for the first 500 miles and checked it every 50 miles or so because I had all these doubts, ya know? I was especially cautious and snoopy after riding through 20 miles of gravelled road construction in Montana. By the time we got home I had quit worrying about it so much except to check it at gas stops. The tire is now about 50% through it's life, so it will get replaced soon anyway. If I felt the least doubt about the tire I'd swap it in a heartbeat, my life and safety is absolutely worth more than a tire replacement. But tires are tough as hell and I don't think I've substantially messed with it's integrity even by reaming the poor thing.

 

BTW, I agree with the tube in a tubeless tire thing, that's why I didn't have the shop do that. If they'd had the proper size replacement tire I probably would have opted at that time for replacement, but since they didn't I had to get by with the best I could at the moment. The patch is working fine, and I'll do a detailed post-mortem when I replace it in a month or so.

[Larsen]

After riding since the early 50's I've experienced many flats, blow outs front and rear, and what have you in the States and Europe. Then I had a 25 year spell of no flat tires including 7,000 mile trips across the states, etc.

 

Last month, with only 70 miles after installing a new tire on the rear of my Black RT, I found a roofing nail in the center of the tread but not leaking air. I rode to my hangar where I pulled the nail and it really leaked! I then removed the tire and installed a TECH 249W Uni-Seal Plus that repairs 1/16" (1.5mm) holes from the inside. I never reamed the hole. The 249W Uni-Seal Plus looks like a mushroom.

 

The install consists in roughing up and preparing the area to be plugged/patched from the inside. I then inserted the thin round metal lead stem of the 249W Uni-Seal Plus through the hole and grasped the metal stem from the outside. I pulled the metal stem with pliers which led a rubber plug through the hole until the attached patch was flush inside the tire. Now I had a plug and patch that when properly installed and sealed gave me a tire that I was not afraid of riding at max speed.

 

Three days later, AT NIGHT, I'm riding down the highway at about 85 mph in traffic when I feel a jolt and hear a pop like a gun shot noise. I pull over and found I had a 1/4" plus round hole in the same almost new rear tire 180 degrees opposite the repair of three days earlier.

 

The hole was almost big enough to put a pencil through so using a flashlight to see I used the BMW Tire Repair Kit and without reaming pushed one of the three BMW round plugs in and it slipped in so fast it dropped off inside. After studying the situation I mounted my remaining two BMW plugs on the install tool with the adhesive gooped on the plugs and into the hole I gently pushed two plugs together into the hole until just a bit of the plugs stuck out and I waited until the glue set up. I then inflated the tire with the three cartridges from the BMW kit and rode 25 miles to my house. I was amazed that the tire held air!

 

That tire I then replaced with a new tire even though it had less than 150 miles on it! Will I repair a tire in the future? Without a moments doubt subject to the repair required! Use common sense, proper repair practices, and don't be influenced by peer pressure. I now carry a few TECH 249W Uni-Seal Plus with sealant, a Stop & Go Kit, a BMW Tire Repair Kit, and a light weight mini air compressor in my trip kit.

 

The Tech's 249W Uni-Seal Plus are available worldwide including Russia. Do a Google Search to see who has them in your area. Tech Supply (Tel: 800-245-8324) in Hayward, California is the Northern California distributor that I buy from.

 

To see what the TECH 249W Uni-Seal Plus looks like see: http://www.california76.com/ttbias.htm

[RockLives]

Here is a quote from Dyna Plug site...Read it guys and act accordingly """Motorcycles: Dynaplug® Tire Puncture Repair Kit is recommended as a temporary repair only for punctures of motorcycle tires. If a repair is made drive slowly to the next available service center and have the tire replaced. Under no circumstances drive at highway speeds.

[smiller]

Here is a quote from Dyna Plug site...Read it guys and act accordingly """Motorcycles: Dynaplug® Tire Puncture Repair Kit is recommended as a temporary repair only for punctures of motorcycle tires. If a repair is made drive slowly to the next available service center and have the tire replaced. Under no circumstances drive at highway speeds.

That's what every tire repair system says, and will always say, in an attempt to protect against nuisance liability lawsuits. The warning itself has nothing to do with reality.

[RockLives]

Here is a quote from Dyna Plug site...Read it guys and act accordingly """Motorcycles: Dynaplug® Tire Puncture Repair Kit is recommended as a temporary repair only for punctures of motorcycle tires. If a repair is made drive slowly to the next available service center and have the tire replaced. Under no circumstances drive at highway speeds.

That's what every tire repair system says, and will always say, in an attempt to protect against nuisance liability lawsuits. The warning itself has nothing to do with reality.

But why dont they use that disclaimer for Automobile tires? Beacuase there is a difference? Must be.

[No_Twilight]

I notice that this thread has gone on for several days and three pages without the original poster replying. So he may not be reading at all but if he is, I have a suggestion: Take the $150 to $200 for a new tire and go buy a Smartire system. I am having one installed and it will protect you against all but sudden deflation. If you believe it will leak and/or heat up before failing, this system will warn you to pull over. Cheers, Jerry